Kinetics and Equilibrium Constants for Reactions of α-Phenyl-Substituted Cyclopropylcarbinyl Radicals

Cu-Catalyzed Coupling of Aliphatic Amines with Alkylboronic Esters

We report a Cu-catalyzed oxidative coupling of aliphatic amines with benzylic and aliphatic boronic esters to give high value alkyl amines, products found widely in applications from medicinal chemistry to materials science. This operationally simple reaction, which can be performed on gram scale, runs under mild conditions and exhibits broad functional group tolerance. The terminal oxidant of the reaction is O2 from the air, avoiding the need for additional chemical oxidants. Investigation into the reaction mechanism suggests that the boronic ester is activated by an aminyl radical, formed through oxidation of the amine by the Cu catalyst, to give a key alkyl radical intermediate. To demonstrate its utility and potential for late-stage functionalization, we showcase the method as the final step in the total synthesis of a TRPV1 antagonist.

300-fold higher neuro- and immunotoxicity from low-redox transformation of carbamazepine

Current challenges in (eco)toxicology are in understanding the transformation of (reactive) substances, and how transformation affects toxic modes of action. Empirical assessment of transformation products of, practically an infinite number of substances, via experimentation, is impossible. Predicting transformation products for (benchmarking) compounds from conditions, facilitates risk analyses. This study applied calculus to predict transformation products of an important environmental and medicinal/toxicological marker, carbamazepine. As radicals are ubiquitous in humans and the environment, we looked into radical-mediated transformations of carbamazepine as a benchmark. We calculated proportions of their speciation states as function of redox conditions, which we took as pH and O2 concentration, describing transformation via covalent and ionic interactions. Formation of ring-contracted products with neuro-immunological activity is thermodynamically favored under anaerobic conditions and at low pH. Experimentally observed product distributions and toxicities reflect that pattern. Our predictive method may support toxicity predictions for other substances and conditions 'similar' to the current case study via interpolation. This paves the way for a more coherent, effective and easier risk assessment of transformation products.

Visible light-triggered selective C(sp2)-H/C(sp3)-H coupling of benzenes with aliphatic hydrocarbons

The direct and selective coupling of benzenes with aliphatic hydrocarbons is a promising strategy for C(sp2)-C(sp3) bond formation using readily available starting materials, yet it remains a significant challenge. In this study, we have developed a simplified photochemical system that incorporates catalytic amounts of iron(III) halides as multifunctional reagents and air as a green oxidant to address this synthetic problem. Under mild conditions, the reaction between a strong C(sp2)-H bond and a robust C(sp3)-H bond has been achieved, affording a broad range of cross-coupling products with high yields and commendable chemo-, site-selectivity. The iron halide acts as a multifunctional reagent that responds to visible light, initiates C-centered radicals, induces single-electron oxidation to carbocations, and participates in a subsequent Friedel-Crafts-type process. The gradual release of radical species and carbocation intermediates appears to be critical for achieving desirable reactivity and selectivity. This eco-friendly, cost-efficient approach offers access to various building blocks from abundant hydrocarbon feedstocks, and demonstrates the potential of iron halides in sustainable synthesis.

Synthesis of DPPP- and DPPPEN-Type Bidentate Ligands by Ring-Opening Diphosphination of Methylene- and Vinylcyclopropanes under Visible-Light-Promoted Photoredox Catalysis

A ring-opening diphosphination of methylene- and vinylcyclopropanes with tetraaryldiphosphines (Ar₂P-PAr₂) has been developed to afford the corresponding 1,3-diphenylphosphinopropane- and 1,3-diphenylphosphinopentane-type bidentate ligands, respectively. The reaction proceeds under bromine cation-initiated, visible-light-promoted photoredox catalysis at ambient temperature. Owing to the ready availability of functionalized diphosphines, the electronically diverse MeO- and CF₃-substituted bidentate ligands are also easily prepared.

Photoexcitation of flavoenzymes enables a stereoselective radical cyclization

Photoexcitation is a common strategy for initiating radical reactions in chemical synthesis. We found that photoexcitation of flavin-dependent "ene"-reductases changes their catalytic function, enabling these enzymes to promote an asymmetric radical cyclization. This reactivity enables the construction of five-, six-, seven-, and eight-membered lactams with stereochemical preference conferred by the enzyme active site. After formation of a prochiral radical, the enzyme guides the delivery of a hydrogen atom from flavin-a challenging feat for small-molecule chemical reagents. The initial electron transfer occurs through direct excitation of an electron donor-acceptor complex that forms between the substrate and the reduced flavin cofactor within the enzyme active site. Photoexcitation of promiscuous flavoenzymes has thus furnished a previously unknown biocatalytic reaction.

New reductive rearrangement of N-arylindoles triggered by the Grubbs-Stoltz reagent Et3SiH/KO t Bu

N-Arylindoles are transformed into dihydroacridines in a new type of rearrangement, through heating with triethylsilane and potassium tert-butoxide. Studies indicate that the pathway involves (i) the formation of indole radical anions followed by fragmentation of the indole C2–N bond, and (ii) a ring-closing reaction that follows a potassium-ion dependent hydrogen atom transfer step. Unexpected behaviors of ‘radical-trap’ substrates prove very helpful in framing the proposed mechanism.

N-Arylindoles are transformed into dihydroacridines in a new type of rearrangement, through heating with triethylsilane and potassium tert-butoxide.

Intermolecular scandium triflate-promoted nitrene-transfer [5 + 1] cycloadditions of vinylcyclopropanes

Sc(OTf)3-promoted [5 + 1] cycloaddition of vinylcyclopropanes with PhINTs is reported, enabling the regioselective preparation of a range of 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine scaffolds under mild conditions. This represents the second example of a [5 + 1] nitrene-transfer cycloaddition and exhibits complementary substrate scope to the antecedent work, expanding the range of N-heterocycles accessible via this strategy.

Benzocyclobutadienes: An Unusual Mode of Access Reveals Unusual Modes of Reactivity

The reaction of an aryne with an alkyne to generate a benzocyclobutadiene (BCB) intermediate is rare. We report here examples of this reaction, revealed by Diels-Alder trapping of the BCB by either pendant or external electron-deficient alkynes. Mechanistic delineation of the reaction course is supported by DFT calculations. A three-component process joining the benzyne first with an electron-rich and then with an electron-poor alkyne was uncovered. Reactions in which the BCB functions in a rarely observed role as a 4π diene component in Diels-Alder reactions are reported. The results also shed new light on aspects of the hexadehydro-Diels-Alder reaction used to generate the benzynes.

Redox-Neutral Photocatalytic Cyclopropanation via Radical/Polar Crossover

A benchtop stable, bifunctional reagent for the redox-neutral cyclopropanation of olefins has been developed. Triethylammonium bis(catecholato)iodomethylsilicate can be readily prepared on multigram scale. Using this reagent in combination with an organic photocatalyst and visible light, cyclopropanation of an array of olefins, including trifluoromethyl- and pinacolatoboryl-substituted alkenes, can be accomplished in a matter of hours. The reaction is highly tolerant of traditionally reactive functional groups (carboxylic acids, basic heterocycles, alkyl halides, etc.) and permits the chemoselective cyclopropanation of polyolefinated compounds. Mechanistic interrogation revealed that the reaction proceeds via a rapid anionic 3- exo- tet ring closure, a pathway consistent with experimental and computational data.

Evidence for heterolytic cleavage of a cyclic oxonium ylide: implications for the mechanism of the Stevens [1,2]-shift

Formation and rearrangement of several oxonium ylides containing cyclopropylcarbinyl migrating groups were studied. Efficient ring-contraction by [1,2]-shift to form cyclopropane-substituted cyclobutanones was observed, with no competing cyclopropane fragmentation. Substitution with the hypersensitive mechanistic probe (trans,trans-2-methoxy-3-phenylcyclopropyl)methyl led to cyclopropane fragmentation via an apparent heterolytic pathway, providing the first evidence for ion pair intermediates from ylide cleavage, and suggesting a possible alternative heterolytic mechanism for the Stevens [1,2]-shift.

Cyclopropyl Group: An Excited-State Aromaticity Indicator?

The cyclopropyl (cPr) group, which is a well-known probe for detecting radical character at atoms to which it is connected, is tested as an indicator for aromaticity in the first ππ* triplet and singlet excited states (T₁ and S₁ ). Baird's rule says that the π-electron counts for aromaticity and antiaromaticity in the T₁ and S₁ states are opposite to Hückel's rule in the ground state (S₀ ). Our hypothesis is that the cPr group, as a result of Baird's rule, will remain closed when attached to an excited-state aromatic ring, enabling it to be used as an indicator to distinguish excited-state aromatic rings from excited-state antiaromatic and nonaromatic rings. Quantum chemical calculations and photoreactivity experiments support our hypothesis; calculated aromaticity indices reveal that openings of cPr substituents on [4n]annulenes ruin the excited-state aromaticity in energetically unfavorable processes. Yet, polycyclic compounds influenced by excited-state aromaticity (e.g., biphenylene), as well as 4nπ-electron heterocycles with two or more heteroatoms represent limitations.

Nickel-Catalyzed Asymmetric Reductive Cross-Coupling To Access 1,1-Diarylalkanes

An asymmetric Ni-catalyzed reductive cross-coupling of (hetero)aryl iodides and benzylic chlorides has been developed to prepare enantioenriched 1,1-diarylalkanes. As part of these studies, a new chiral bioxazoline ligand, 4-heptyl-BiOX (L1), was developed in order to obtain products in synthetically useful yield and enantioselectivity. The reaction tolerates a variety of heterocyclic coupling partners, including pyridines, pyrimidines, indoles, and piperidines.

Nickel-Catalyzed Enantioselective Cross-Coupling of N-Hydroxyphthalimide Esters with Vinyl Bromides

An enantioselective Ni-catalyzed cross-coupling of N-hydroxyphthalimide esters with vinyl bromides is reported. The reaction proceeds under mild conditions and uses tetrakis(N,N-dimethylamino)ethylene as a terminal organic reductant. Good functional group tolerance is demonstrated, with over 20 examples of reactions that proceed with >90% ee.

Atom-economical cobalt-catalysed regioselective coupling of epoxides and aziridines with alkenes

An atom-economical cobalt-catalysed regioselective coupling of epoxides and aziridines with alkenes is reported.

Effect of double-bond substituents on the rate of cyclization of α-carbomethoxyhex-5-enyl radicals

Rate constants have been calculated, and compared with experimental results, for the cyclizations of 1-carbomethoxy-1-methyl-5-hexenyl radicals (2) with various substituents on C6. The calculations have been done by DFT at the B3LYP/6-311++G** level of theory. They show considerable interaction between C5 and the radical centers even in the ground state of all of the radicals 2. Experimentally, the radicals have been generated by H(•) transfer to the corresponding acrylate esters 1 and the yields of cyclized products compared to the calculated rate constants. (The "cyclized products" include those from cyclohydrogenation, 4, and those from cycloisomerization, 9.) Two phenyl substituents on C6 (2i), or a phenyl and a methyl substituent (2g, 2h), increase the rate of cyclization, but a single phenyl substituent on C6 produces a greater increase. The calculations show that the two phenyl substituents are twisted in the transition state for cyclization, while a single phenyl substituent remains flat in that transition state. A methyl substituent on C6 along with a single phenyl causes the phenyl to twist in the transition state and decreases the rate constant for cyclization below that of the H/Ph-substituted 2e, 2f.

Preparation of α-imino aldehydes by [1,3]-rearrangements of O-alkenyl oximes

The synthesis of α-imino aldehydes has been achieved through the thermal [1,3]-rearrangement of O-alkenyl benzophenone oximes. A copper-mediated C-O bond coupling between benzophenone oxime and alkenyl boronic acids provides facile access to the required O-alkenyl oximes and a Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination can be applied to the α-imino aldehyde products to give γ-imino-α,β-unsaturated esters. The scope of the method is described and mechanistic experiments are discussed.

Quantitative production of compound I from a cytochrome P450 enzyme at low temperatures. Kinetics, activation parameters, and kinetic isotope effects for oxidation of benzyl alcohol

Cytochrome P450 enzymes are commonly thought to oxidize substrates via an iron(IV)-oxo porphyrin radical cation transient termed Compound I, but kinetic studies of P450 Compounds I are essentially nonexistent. We report production of Compound I from cytochrome P450 119 (CYP119) in high conversion from the corresponding Compound II species at low temperatures in buffer mixtures containing 50% glycerol by photolysis with 365 nm light from a pulsed lamp. Compound I was studied as a reagent in oxidations of benzyl alcohol and its benzylic mono- and dideuterio isotopomers. Pseudo-first-order rate constants obtained at -50 degrees C with concentrations of substrates between 1.0 and 6.0 mM displayed saturation kinetics that gave binding constants for the substrate in the Compound I species (K(bind)) and first-order rate constants for the oxidation reactions (k(ox)). Representative results are K(bind) = 214 M(-1) and k(ox) = 0.48 s(-1) for oxidation of benzyl alcohol. For the dideuterated substrate C(6)H(5)CD(2)OH, kinetics were studied between -50 and -25 degrees C, and a van't Hoff plot for complexation and an Arrhenius plot for the oxidation reaction were constructed. The H/D kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) at -50 degrees C were resolved into a large primary KIE (P = 11.9) and a small, inverse secondary KIE (S = 0.96). Comparison of values extrapolated to 22 degrees C of both the rate constant for oxidation of C(6)H(5)CD(2)OH and the KIE for the nondeuterated and dideuterated substrates to values obtained previously in laser flash photolysis experiments suggested that tunneling could be a significant component of the total rate constant at -50 degrees C.

Kinetic isotope effects in hydroxylation reactions effected by cytochrome P450 compounds I implicate multiple electrophilic oxidants for P450-catalyzed oxidations

Kinetic isotope effects were measured for oxidations of (S,S)-2-(p-trifluoromethylphenyl)cyclopropylmethane containing zero, two, and three deuterium atoms on the methyl group by Compounds I from the cytochrome P450 enzymes CYP119 and CYP2B4 at 22 degrees C. The oxidations displayed saturation kinetics, which permitted solution of both binding constants (K(bind)) and first-order oxidation rate constants (k(ox)) for both enzymes with the three substrates. The binding constant for CYP2B4 Compound I was about 1 order of magnitude greater than that for CYP119 Compound I, but the oxidation rate constants were similar for the two. In oxidations of 1-d(0), k(ox) = 10.4 s(-1) for CYP119 Compound I, and k(ox) = 12.4 s(-1) for CYP2B4 Compound I. Primary kinetic isotope effects (P) and secondary kinetic isotope effects (S) were obtained from the results with the three isotopomers. The primary KIEs were large, P = 9.8 and P = 8.9 for CYP119 and CYP2B4 Compounds I, respectively, and the secondary KIEs were small and normal, S = 1.07 and S = 1.05, respectively. Large intermolecular KIEs for 1-d(0) and 1-d(3) of k(H)/k(D) = 11.2 and 9.8 found for the two Compounds I contrast with small intermolecular KIEs obtained previously for the same substrate in P450-catalyzed oxidations; these differences suggest that a second electrophilic oxidant, presumably iron-complexed hydrogen peroxide, is important in cytochrome P450 oxidations under turnover conditions.

Desaturase reactions complicate the use of norcarane as a mechanistic probe. Unraveling the mixture of twenty-plus products formed in enzyme-catalyzed oxidations of norcarane

Norcarane, bicyclo[4.1.0]heptane, has been widely used as a mechanistic probe in studies of oxidations catalyzed by several iron-containing enzymes. We report here that, in addition to oxygenated products, norcarane is also oxidized by iron-containing enzymes in desaturase reactions that give 2-norcarene and 3-norcarene. Furthermore, secondary products from further oxidation reactions of the norcarenes are produced in yields that are comparable to those of the minor products from oxidation of the norcarane. We studied oxidations catalyzed by a representative spectrum of iron-containing enzymes including four cytochrome P450 enzymes, CYP2B1, CYPDelta2B4, CYPDelta2E1, and CYPDelta2E1 T303A, and three diiron enzymes, soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) from Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath), toluene monooxygenase (ToMO) from Pseudomonas stutzeri OX1, and phenol hydroxylase (PH) from Pseudomonas stutzeri OX1. 2-Norcarene and 3-norcarene and their oxidation products were found in all reaction mixtures, accounting for up to half of the oxidation products in some cases. In total, more than 20 oxidation products were identified from the enzyme-catalyzed reactions of norcarane. The putative radical-derived product from the oxidation of norcarane, 3-hydroxymethylcyclohexene (21), and the putative cation-derived product from the oxidation of norcarane, cyclohept-3-enol (22), coelute with other oxidation products on low-polarity GC columns. The yields of product 21 found in this study are smaller than those previously reported for the same or similar enzymes in studies where the products from norcarene oxidations were ignored, and therefore, the limiting values for lifetimes of radical intermediates produced in the enzyme-catalyzed oxidation reactions are shorter than those previously reported.

Kinetic studies of a fast, reversible alkene radical cation cyclization reaction

The radical cation formed by mesylate heterolysis from the 1,1-dimethyl-7,7-diphenyl-2-mesyloxy-6-heptenyl radical was studied in several solvents. Computational results suggest that the initially formed acyclic radical cation is a resonance hybrid with partial positive charge in both double bonds of 1,1-diphenyl-7-methyl-1,6-octadiene (10). Thiophenol trapping was used as the competing reaction for kinetic determinations. The acyclic radical cation rapidly equilibrates with a cyclic distonic radical cation, and thiophenol trapping gives acyclic product 10 and cyclic products, mainly trans-1-(diphenylmethyl)-2-(1-methylethenyl)cyclopentane (11). The rate constants for cyclization at ambient temperature were k = (0.5-2) x 10(10)(s-1), and those for ring opening were k = (1.5-9) x 10(10)(s-1). Laser flash photolysis studies in several solvents show relatively slow processes (k = (2.5-260) x 10(5)(s-1) that involve rate-limiting trapping reactions for the equilibrating radical cations. In mixtures of fluoroalcohols RfCH2OH in trifluoromethylbenzene, variable-temperature studies display small, and in one case a negative, activation energies, requiring equilibration reactions prior to the rate-limiting processes. Fast equilibration of acyclic and cyclic radical cations implies that product ratios can be controlled by the populations of the acyclic and cyclic species and relative rate constants for trapping each.

Products from enzyme-catalyzed oxidations of norcarenes

Recent studies revealed that norcarane (bicyclo[4.1.0]heptane) is oxidized to 2-norcarene (bicyclo[4.1.0]-hept-2-ene) and 3-norcarene (bicyclo[4.1.0]hept-3-ene) by iron-containing enzymes and that secondary oxidation products from the norcarenes complicate mechanistic probe studies employing norcarane as the substrate (Newcomb, M.; Chandrasena, R. E. P.; Lansakara-P., D. S. P.; Kim, H.-Y.; Lippard, S. J.; Beauvais, L. G.; Murray, L. J.; Izzo, V.; Hollenberg, P. F.; Coon, M. J. J. Org. Chem. 2007, 72, 1121-1127). In the present work, the product profiles from the oxidations of 2-norcarene and 3-norcarene by several enzymes were determined. Most of the products were identified by GC and GC-mass spectral comparison to authentic samples produced independently; in some cases, stereochemical assignments were made or confirmed by 2D NMR analysis of the products. The enzymes studied in this work were four cytochrome P450 enzymes, CYP2B1, CYPDelta2E1, CYPDelta2E1 T303A, and CYPDelta2B4, and three diiron-containing enzymes, soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) from Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath), toluene monooxygenase (ToMO) from Pseudomonas stutzeri OX1, and phenol hydroxylase (PH) from Pseudomonas stutzeri OX1. The oxidation products from the norcarenes identified in this work are 2-norcaranone, 3-norcaranone, syn- and anti-2-norcarene oxide, syn- and anti-3-norcarene oxide, syn- and anti-4-hydroxy-2-norcarene, syn- and anti-2-hydroxy-3-norcarene, 2-oxo-3-norcarene, 4-oxo-2-norcarene, and cyclohepta-3,5-dienol. Two additional, unidentified oxidation products were observed in low yields in the oxidations. In matched oxidations, 3-norcarene was a better substrate than 2-norcarene in terms of turnover by factors of 1.5-15 for the enzymes studied here. The oxidation products found in enzyme-catalyzed oxidations of the norcarenes are useful for understanding the complex product mixtures obtained in norcarane oxidations.

Preparation of fused polycyclic vinylcyclopropanes via radical cascade reactions

Radical cascades employing (dichloromethyl)dimethylsilyl ethers as both a point of radical initiation and termination, allow efficient entry to fused polycyclic cyclopropanes, and are also suitable for the design of other radical processes terminated by beta-elimination of chloride.

Highly diastereoselective ionic/radical domino reactions: single electron transfer induced cyclization of bis-sulfoxides

SET oxidation of bis-sulfinyl anions has enabled the uses of bis-sulfinyl radical as a synthetic equivalent of chiral acyl and methylene radicals involved in tandem reactions leading to the enantioselective construction of various carbo- and heterocyclic derivatives.

Oxygen Acidity of Ring Methoxylated 1,1-Diarylalkanol Radical Cations Bearing α-Cyclopropyl Groups. The Competition between O-Neophyl Shift and C−Cyclopropyl β-Scission in the Intermediate 1,1-Diarylalkoxyl Radicals

A product and time-resolved kinetic study on the reactivity of the radical cations generated from cyclopropyl(4-methoxyphenyl)phenylmethanol (1) and cyclopropyl[bis(4-methoxyphenyl)]methanol (2) has been carried out in aqueous solution. In acidic solution, 1*+ and 2*+ display very low reactivities toward fragmentation, consistent with the presence of groups at Calpha (aryl and cyclopropyl) that after Calpha-Cbeta bond cleavage would produce relatively unstable carbon-centered radicals. In basic solution, 1*+ and 2*+ display oxygen acidity, undergoing -OH-induced deprotonation from the alpha-OH group, leading to the corresponding 1,1-diarylalkoxyl radicals 1r* and 2r*, respectively, as directly observed by time-resolved spectroscopy. The product distributions observed in the reactions of 1*+ and 2*+ under these conditions (cyclopropyl phenyl ketone, cyclopropyl(4-methoxyphenyl) ketone, and 4-methoxybenzophenone from 1*+; cyclopropyl(4-methoxyphenyl) ketone and 4,4'-dimethoxybenzophenone from 2*+) have been rationalized in terms of a water-induced competition between O-neophyl shift and C-cyclopropyl beta-scission in the intermediate 1,1-diarylalkoxyl radicals 1r* and 2r*.

Highly reactive electrophilic oxidants in cytochrome P450 catalysis

The cytochrome P450 enzymes effect a wide range of oxidations in nature including difficult hydroxylation reactions of unactivated C-H. Most of the high energy reactions of these catalysts appear to involve highly electrophilic active species. Attempts to detect the reactive transients in the enzymes have met with limited success, but evidence has accumulated that two distinct electrophilic oxidants are produced in the P450 enzymes. The consensus electrophilic oxidant termed "iron-oxo" is usually thought to be an analogue of Compound I, an iron(IV)-oxo porphyrin radical cation species, but it is possible that a higher energy electronic isomer of Compound I is required to account for the facility of the C-H oxidation reactions. The second electrophilic oxidant of P450 is speculative; circumstantial evidence suggests that this species is iron-complexed hydrogen peroxide, but this oxidant might be a second spin state of iron-oxo. This overview discusses recent studies directed at detection of the electrophilic oxidants in P450 enzymes and the accumulated evidence for two distinct species.

The Effect of Ring Substitution on the O-Neophyl Rearrangement of 1,1-Diarylalkoxyl Radicals. A Product and Time-Resolved Kinetic Study

[reaction: see text] A product and time-resolved kinetic study of the effect of ring substitution on the reactivity of 1,1-diarylalkoxyl radicals has been carried out. The radicals undergo an O-neophyl shift to give the isomeric 1-aryl-1-aryloxyalkyl radicals from which the corresponding aromatic ketones are formed. The rearrangement rate constants are influenced by ring substitution, increasing in the presence of electron-withdrawing substituents and decreasing in the presence of electron-donating ones. From the results of product and kinetic studies, the following migratory aptitudes have been obtained: 4-trifluoromethylphenyl > phenyl approximately = 4-methylphenyl > 4-methoxyphenyl. Excellent Hammett-type correlations between the sigma+ substituent constants and both the visible absorption band maxima and the rearrangement rate constants have been obtained. The experimental results indicate that the rearrangement is governed by electronic effects in the starting 1,1-diarylalkoxyl radicals, whereas the stability of the rearranged carbon-centered radical plays a minor role, in line with a reactant-like transition state, strongly supporting the hypothesis that the O-neophyl rearrangement of 1,1-diarylalkoxyl radicals proceeds through a concerted mechanism.

Cyclopropylcarbinyl → Homoallyl-Type Ring Opening of Ketyl Radical Anions. Structure/Reactivity Relationships and the Contribution of Solvent/Counterion Reorganization to the Intrinsic Barrier

[reaction: see text] Following a protocol developed by Mathivanan, Johnston, and Wayner (J. Phys. Chem. 1995, 99, 8190-8195), the radical anions of several cyclopropyl- and oxiranyl-containing carbonyl compounds were generated in an effort to measure the rate constants for their ring opening (k(o)) by laser flash photolysis. The results of these experiments are compared to those obtained from earlier electrochemical studies, and the combined data set is used to rationalize the kinetics of radical anion ring opening in a general context by using Saveant's theory pertaining to stepwise dissociative electron transfer (Acc. Chem. Res. 1993, 26, 455-461). Compared to cyclopropylcarbinyl --> homoallyl rearrangements of neutral free radicals, at comparable driving force, the radical anion ring openings are slightly slower. The small difference in rate is attributed to the contribution of an additional, approximately 2 kcal/mol, solvent reorganization component for the radical anion rearrangements. The solvent reorganization energy for ring opening of these radical anions is believed to be small because the negative charge does not move appreciably in the progression reactant --> transition state --> product.

Activation/Driving Force Relationships for Cyclopropylcarbinyl → Homoallyl-Type Rearrangements of Radical Anions

By using direct and indirect electrochemical methods, rate constants (ko) for cyclopropane ring opening of radical anions derived from the one-electron reduction of trans-1-benzoyl-2-phenylcyclopropane, trans-1-benzoyl-2-vinylcyclopropane, 2-methylenecyclopropyl phenyl ketone, spiro[anthracene-9,1'-cyclopropan-10-one], 3-cyclopropylcyclohex-2-en-1-one, and 3-(1-methylcyclopropyl)cyclohex-2-en-1-one were determined. Qualitatively, rate constants for ring opening of these (and other cyclopropyl- and cyclobutyl-containing radical anions) can be rationalized on the basis of the thermodynamic stability of the radical anion, the ability of substituents on the cyclopropyl group to stabilize the radical portion of the distonic radical anion, and the stability of the enolate portion of the distonic radical anion. On the basis of this notion, a thermochemical cycle for estimating deltaG(o) for ring opening was presented. For simple cyclopropyl-containing ketyl anions, a reasonable correlation between log(ko) and deltaG(o) was found, and stepwise dissociative electron transfer theory was applied to rationalize the results. Activation energies calculated with density functional theory (UB3LYP/6-31+G*) correlate reasonably well with measured log(ko). The derived log(ko) and deltaG(o) and log(ko) vs E(a) plots provide the basis for a "calibration curve" to predict rate constants for ring opening of radical anions derived from carbonyl compounds, in general.

Solvent polarity effects and limited acid catalysis in rearrangements of model radicals for the methylmalonyl-CoA mutase- and isobutyryl-CoA mutase-catalyzed isomerization reactions

The kinetics of reactions of models for the intermediate radicals formed in the methylmalonyl-CoA mutase- and isobutyryl-CoA mutase-catalyzed rearrangements were studied by laser flash photolysis methods. The aldehyde-containing model analogous to the propanal-3-yl radical reacted via 3-exo cyclization with rate constants that varied with solvent polarity (k in the range 2 x 105 to 1 x 107 s-1). The analogous methyl ketone-containing radical reacted 2 orders of magnitude less rapidly, and the ethylthiocarbonyl-containing radical analogue reacted too slowly for kinetic measurements. No acid catalysis was observed in acetic acid, but the CF3CO2H-complexed radicals reacted 1 order of magnitude faster than the uncomplexed radicals. The results indicate that catalysis of the 3-exo radical cyclizations of the radicals formed in the enzymes by hydrogen bonding to an acid, so-called "partial protonation", is not adequate for acceleration of the reactions to the point of kinetic competence. A dissociative mechanism for the radical rearrangements in nature is considered as an alternative.

Hydroperoxoferric heme intermediate as a second electrophilic oxidant in cytochrome P450-catalyzed reactions

Experimental evidence supporting the catalytic activity of the peroxoferric and hydroperoxoferric cytochrome P450 intermediates as alternative oxidants to the compound I (ferryl) state in the oxygenation of organic substrates is reviewed. The peroxoferric P450 state is proposed to function as a nucleophile in the lyase step of the P450-aromatase reaction. Several systems are reviewed in which the hydroperoxoferric P450 intermediate likely functions as a second electrophilic oxidant, the "two-oxidants" model. These include alkene epoxidation, sulfoxidation, and hydroxylation of methyl groups on cyclopropane rings. The key use of the P450 mutants from different sources in which the conserved threonine in the distal substrate binding pocket is replaced with alanine, in order to minimize the formation of the compound I intermediate and unmask the reactivity of the hydroperoxoferric state, is emphasized. These data are discussed in the context of the "two-states" model, which proposes that the compound I P450 intermediate has both high- and low-spin states with different reactivities. A complicated reaction profile emerges for the wide range of P450 reactions involving up to three reactive intermediates, of which the most reactive, the compound I P450 state, has two spin states with different reactivities.

Three-Carbon Ring Expansion by Cyclopropane Insertion: Macrocyclic Musks from Readily Available C-12 Starting Materials

A thermal three-carbon ring expansion based on side chain ring insertion of a cyclopropane moiety is described. Flash vacuum pyrolysis (FVP) of 1-cyclopropyl-cycloalk-3-enol derivatives leads to the three-carbon ring expanded enones with clean retention of double bond geometry. Substrates bearing methyl groups on the cyclopropane ring undergo regioselective bond cleavage, allowing for the systematic preparation of selectively substituted macrocyclic musks from low-priced C-12 starting compounds.

Hydroxylation by the hydroperoxy-iron species in cytochrome P450 enzymes

Intramolecular and intermolecular kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) were determined for hydroxylation of the enantiomers of trans-2-(p-trifluoromethylphenyl)cyclopropylmethane (1) by hepatic cytochrome P450 enzymes, P450s 2B1, Delta2B4, Delta2B4 T302A, Delta2E1, and Delta2E1 T303A. Two products from oxidation of the methyl group were obtained, unrearranged trans-2-(p-trifluoromethylphenyl)cyclopropylmethanol (2) and rearranged 1-(p-trifluoromethylphenyl)but-3-en-1-ol (3). In intramolecular KIE studies with dideuteriomethyl substrates (1-d(2)) and in intermolecular KIE studies with mixtures of undeuterated (1-d(0)) and trideuteriomethyl (1-d(3)) substrates, the apparent KIE for product 2 was consistently larger than the apparent KIE for product 3 by a factor of ca. 1.2. Large intramolecular KIEs found with 1-d(2) (k(H)/k(D) = 9-11 at 10 degrees C) were shown not to be complicated by tunneling effects by variable temperature studies with two P450 enzymes. The results require two independent isotope-sensitive processes in the overall hydroxylation reactions that are either competitive or sequential. Intermolecular KIEs were partially masked in all cases and largely masked for some P450s. The intra- and intermolecular KIE results were combined to determine the relative rate constants for the unmasking and hydroxylation reactions, and a qualitative correlation was found for the unmasking reaction and release of hydrogen peroxide from four of the P450 enzymes in the absence of substrate. The results are consistent with the two-oxidants model for P450 (Vaz, A. D. N.; McGinnity, D. F.; Coon, M. J. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 1998, 95, 3555), which postulates that a hydroperoxy-iron species (or a protonated analogue of this species) is a viable electrophilic oxidant in addition to the consensus oxidant, iron-oxo.

An Accelerating−Reporting Group for Studies of Radical Heterolysis Reactions and Its Application in an Acid-Catalyzed Fragmentation Reaction of an α,β-Dimethoxy Radical

The 2,2-diphenylcyclopropyl group was employed to accelerate reactions of alpha-methoxy radicals containing beta-leaving groups, to trap the products of either migration or heterolysis of the leaving group, and to provide a useful chromophore for laser flash photolysis kinetic studies. The reporting group biases reactions in favor of heterolytic fragmentation and most likely intercepts radical cations in ion pairs. The 1-methoxy-1-methyl-2-(diethylphosphatoxy)-2-(2,2-diphenylcyclopropyl)ethyl radical (3a) reacted faster than the kinetic resolution of the instrument (k > 2 x 10(8) s(-1)) in all solvents studied, and the 2-acetoxy analogue (3b) reacted much faster than related radicals that do not contain the cyclopropyl group (e.g., k = 1.1 x 10(6) s(-1) in CH3CN at ambient temperature). The rate constants and Arrhenius parameters for reactions of 3b indicated that the rate-limiting step in the reaction was heterolytic cleavage. The 1,2-dimethoxy-1-methyl-2-(2,2-diphenylcyclopropyl)ethyl radical (26) reacted in a general acid-catalyzed heterolysis reaction, and rate constants for protonation of the beta-methoxy group by a series of carboxylic acids were determined. The results suggest that acid-catalyzed reactions of beta-alkoxy radicals might be employed in synthetic conversions.